1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a storage and transportation case or box for storage systems with automatic feed and removal devices and transport devices and/or conveying paths associated with the feed and removal devices. Each storage and transportation case includes two longitudinal walls and two transverse walls and a bottom so as to form a box-like container. At the bottom the case has support and guide elements for interacting with support and guide rails mounted in the shelf system. On at least one of its transverse walls, the case has on the level of the bottom an engagement means for engaging insertion and extraction members of the feed and removal devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Storage and transportation cases of the above-described type are already known. They are usually made of sheet steel and have longitudinal and transverse walls which are rigidly connected to the bottom. On at least one transverse wall, preferably however on both transverse walls, the known storage and transportation cases are provided on the level of the bottom of width engagement means for engaging the insertion and extraction members of the feed and removal devices. These engagement means are formed by separately manufactured sectional rails which are rigidly welded at least to the transverse wall, preferably however also to the corner regions toward the longitudinal walls and toward the bottom, so that the forces exerted by the extraction members of the feed and removal devices can be securely introduced into the storage and transportation case.
A specific storage and transportation case of this type is disclosed, for example, in German Utility Model 8,326,738. These known storage and transportation cases have the disadvantage that they must be manufactured by initially prefabricating plane sheet steel blanks which are then deformed by means of folding and/or bending procedures and must subsequently be connected to each other by means of complicated welding and/or riveting procedures.
Another deficiency of these known storage and transportation cases is that these cases are subject to corrosion and may generate substantial noise when interacting with the feed and removal devices and the conveyor paths associated with the feed and removal devices.
It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to eliminate the disadvantages of the known storage and transportation cases of the above-described type. Specifically, it is the object of the present invention to provide a box-like container forming a storage and transportation case with a structure which can be manufactured even in large numbers with high precision and optimum stability with respect to shape and whose engagement means for the insertion and extraction members of the feed and removal devices are capable of withstanding even high loads for long periods of time.